Acer's Predator Z1 curved monitors are aggressively priced

Acer's Predator gaming monitor series has been growing rapidly since its inception last year. While the brand has been used primarily for ultra-high-end, does-it-all gaming displays, now Acer is showing off three new monitors in what it is calling the Predator Z1 series. These monitors bear the now-familiar Predator branding: blacked-out frames with red accents.

The Predator Z1 widescreen displays come in 27", 30", and 31.5" sizes. All three have 1080 pixels of vertical resolution, but the 30" model is 21:9 and boasts a 2560x1080 resolution. The new screens are sharply curved at 1800R, just like Samsung's recent curved displays. Also like those displays, these LCD monitors have vertical-alignment (VA) panels. For those unfamiliar with the technology, VA panels tend to offer better contrast with less backlight bleed versus IPS panels. Acer says the panels in the new Predators have 100% coverage of the sRGB color space, too.

Despite the 4ms response time, the 30" Predator Z1 ultrawide has a 200Hz refresh rate. Its 27" and 31.5" 16:9 siblings top out at 144Hz. All of the Predator Z1 monitors have support for Nvidia's G-Sync adaptive refresh technology, plus a host of other premium features like USB 3.0 hubs and ambient light sensors. The monitors' feature set is impressive, considering that Acer says prices start at just $599. The Predator Z1s should be available by June.